Can I Post a Photo That Shows ‘Awra?

Question: Is it sinful to post or share a picture publicly that includes a woman’s hair? I’m a woman, so I understand that the hair of other women is not ‘awrah for me, but it is `awrah for men such a  picture.

Answer:

Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question. You have hit the nail on the head exactly.

A Woman’s Nakedness

A woman’s hair is definitely ‘awrah for a man to see, but not for a woman. Hence, if you were to post a picture with a woman’s uncovered hair in a public domain, it is potentially sinful.  Please see this article about the details of one’s ‘awrah (nakedness):
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/hanafi-fiqh/a-detailed-exposition-of-the-fiqh-of-covering-ones-nakedness-awra/

Rectify

If you have already posted such photos online, try to remove them and avoid posting pictures of any uncovered woman in the future. Even if you wear hijab yourself, you do not want to be accountable for posting pictures of other women who do not cover. Generally speaking, photography and social media can trap one into a cycle of sin that one is not even aware of. The harms can be more than the benefit. Please see the links below. May Allah reward you and give you the best of this world and the next.

https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/shafii-fiqh/should-i-remove-photos-online-of-me-without-hijab/
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/can-i-post-my-pictures-on-social-media-while-wearing-correct-hijab/

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family